Ho 12 12 14 full

vINTAGE IS SO tODAY

THINK LOCAL FIRST

wn rsto Coope

IF ONEONTA’S UNIQUE, COOPERTOWN’S ANTIQUE/B1

HOMETOWN ONEONTA !

EE

FR Volume 7, No. 12

S

&

rs Ot e b seg o County Cham

& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch

Oneonta, N.Y., Friday, December 12, 2014

Complimentary

ANTA’S TREELIGHTING BRINGS RECORD CROWD TO MULLER PLAZA

Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Welcoming the season, Oneontans turned out in record numbers Thursday, Dec. 4, for the annual treelighting on Muller Plaza.

City of The Hills

Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA

County Sheriff Richard J. Devlin Jr. examines a cache of seized marijuana at his Town of Middlefield headquarters.

In recent days, deputies have seized $112,000 worth of pot. Details at WWW.ALLOTSEGO.COM

Middleburgh Tel County Partner For Broadband

T

he county IDA Thursday, Dec. 4, approved Middleburgh Telephone Co. as its partner in a $30 million project to spread high-speed Internet throughout Otsego County. See WWW.ALLOTSEGO.COM RISING STAR: Oneonta’s Cuyle Carvin’s appearance on the CSI TV show has been delayed until Dec. 21.

Constitution Pipeline To Put 1,300 To Work Work May Start

By March, But Foes Complain

Town, City Invited To GO-EDC Talks On Collaborations

By JIM KEVLIN

Mayor Miller’s Concept Goes On

O

By JIM KEVLIN

T

he most steadfast advocate of town-city collaboration is gone, but Mayor Dick Miller’s spirit lives on.

GO-EDC, the economic-development advocacy group spearheaded

by Albert Colone and Bill Shue, has invited the Oneonta Town Board and Oneonta City Council to a moderated conMayor Miller was versation at 7 p.m. the foremost Monday, Dec. 15, advocate of towncity collaboration. on how the two might collaborate for the benefit of both, plus the Greater Oneonta region.

Colone, founding president of the forPlease See TALKS, A7

Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Elizabeth Raphelson prepares for the Thursday, Dec. 11, opening of The Underground Attic.

History Inspires Fashionista

By LIBBY CUDMORE

F

or Elizabeth Raphelson, what’s old is always new again. “I wore a 1950s ball gown to my prom,” she said. “I had the matching handbag, ear1800s Mexican locket. rings, heels – I’ve always loved old clothing.”

It’s a love she’s sharing with Oneonta. On Thursday, Dec. Please See FASHION/A3

pponents are still looking for ways to block it, but the Constitution Pipeline Co. is planning to start work on the 124mile natural-gas conduit by February or March, as soon as a couple of months from now.

Bids on the project will be let soon after Jan. 1, and the construction companies that win the contract will begin seeking to fill 1,300 jobs – primarily welders, heavy-machinery Please See PIPELINE, A7

EC-DEV FUNDING DUE

A

nticipated at Labor Day, then before the Nov. 4 elections, it appears Governor Cuomo was due to reveal a much-anticipated round of CFA economic-development funding at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9. See details at

WWW.ALLOTSEGO,COM

HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S LARGEST CIRCULATION NEWSPAPER 2010 WINNER OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD

HOMETOWN People

A-2 HOMETOWN ONEONTA

Klugo’s Rehabilitation Of Bresee’s Wins Statewide Preservation Prize

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014 LEAF TAKES TOP GINGERBREAD PRIZE

Dani Nicosia All-American For Herkimer

D

ani Nicosia of Oneonta, a midfielder for the Herkimer Generals women’s soccer team, has been named a first-team 2014 NJCAA DIII All-American.

Nicosia, a business administration major and team captain, accumulated five goals and one assist in five games, helping her team outscore opponents 12-4 to a third place finish at nationals in New Jersey.

In total, she finished the season with 14 goals and nine assists in 18 games. She had five games with two or more goals and at least one assist in eight games.

WINS SCHOLARSHIP: Cassidy Barker of Mount Vision has been awarded the Nursing Careers Scholarship at Corning Community College.

Ian Austin/HOMETOWN ONEONTA

LEAF Inc took first prize in the adult category of this year’s “Winter Wonderland” Gingerbread House competition. Here, Carol Mandigo and Rachel Jessup judge the entries. For a complete list of winners, see AllOTSEGO.com.

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THINK LOCAL FIRST

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An Oneonta contingent accepts one of only seven awards for “Distinctive Historic Preservation Projects” statewide for Klugo’s Parkview Place, the Bresee’s rehabilitation project. It was among the state’s 2014 Preservation Awards presented Friday, Dec. 5, at a ceremony at Albany’s Academy Lofts. Deputy State Parks Commissioner for Historical Preservation Ruth Pierpont, left, and Executive Deputy Commissioner Andy Beers, right, made the presentation to, from left, developer Chip Klugo, architect Elise Johnson-Schmidt, former Oneonta mayor John Nader, former county Economic Developer Carolyn Lewis and GOHS Executive Director/Common Council member Bob Brzozowski. The citation said “the building is repaired, historic features are restored or replicated and the interiors are rehabilitated for contemporary use. The local landmark’s rebirth promises to be a major component of the city’s redevelopment efforts.”

HERZIG APPOINTED: Common Council Tuesday, Dec. 2, named Gary Herzig, Opportunities for Otsego COO, to the city Board of Assessment Review.

rs Ot be seg o County Cham

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014

THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS WITH THE SWEET ADELINES The Sweet Adelines, under the direction of Flora Beth Cunningham, put on their annual holiday concert at the Southside Mall on Saturday.

Dec. 6, and soon, holiday shoppers gathered ‘round to hear Jan McGrath, Kathy Polley, Joy Sheridan, Linda Allen, Dorcas Ross, Pat Ash and the rest of the chorus fill their air with their angelic harmonies.

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Vintage Fashion Inspires New Oneonta Boutique FASHION/From A1 11, she planned to open The Underground Attic, a new vintage boutique specializing in clothing from the 1800s to the 1980s. “Fashion changed so quickly, so you can have a whole array of any style from any era you wanted,” she said.

Though it’s been a lifelong love, she started thinking seriously about it when she was at SUNY Oneonta. “I was studying fashion design and keeping a blog about vintage clothing,” she said. “I began to think, ‘How can I turn this into a job?’”

She began collecting pieces on a larger scale and selling them in an online shop. “I love traveling to estate sales and auctions,” she said. “I got this 1910 lingerie gown in Colorado

– it’s all hand-done lace and all these tiny buttons. This is what you’d wear under your long gown.”

And her fashion background came in handy when she came across a Cinderella-style ball gown in Ithaca.

“A lot of these didn’t survive because it was wartime and they were used for other occasions,” she said. “But I found this piece, and when I looked in my textbook, there was almost the exact same dress!”

It also helped her learn lessons about how clothes were made. “For a short time in the 1920s, they thought washing silk with salt water would strengthen the fibers,” she explained.

“It was actually the opposite, and when it’s exposed to sunlight – poof!”

Alas, her favorite piece, an orange flapper dress with thousands of tiny

Future of Oneonta Foundation Award 2012 Alzheimer’s Association Award 2011 The Daily Star Readers’ Choice Award 2010-12

glass beads, is for show only.

She steam cleans, mends and dates the pieces, sometimes writing a little story on the tag. The pink swingin’ ’60s dress, for instance, might look familiar to shoppers: It was the same one Elizabeth is sporting in the JoAnn’s Dress Shop mural at the Greater Oneonta Historical Society.

The store will be open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Dece. 11, 13, 18, 20, 22 and 23 in the shop above Roots Brewing Company, with live music, hot cider and cookies, then she’ll close for a few weeks before re-opening full time in January.

“I’m a huge believer in taking things that had a life and giving them a new one,” she said. “Shopping vintage is eco-friendly, and it’s fun!”

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CHRISTMAS PAGEANT!

Sunday December 14 3:30 pm Family Dinner to follow!

St. Mary’s

Roman Catholic Church Elm St., Cooperstown, N.Y. REV. JOHN P. ROSSON, PASTOR WWW.STMARYSCOOP.ORG

U U U U U U U U U U

HOMETOWN Views

A-4 HOMETOWN ONEONTA

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014

EDITORIAL

Hospital, Community Leaders Must Confer On Bassett’s Future

T

he future of hospitals is murky, certainly to the general public (and general newspapers), perhaps even to the experts at One Atwell Road, Cooperstown, who are paid to think about it and react to their best estimations.

It doesn’t take a fevered imagination, however, to conclude that Bassett Hospital and its presence in Otsego County – Oneonta’s Fox included – won’t be the same 10 years from now as it is today.

Earlier this year, an email from Dr. Vance Brown, Bassett’s new president/ CEO, suggested it might make sense to shift pediatrics and some other specialties from Cooperstown to Oneonta. Then, earlier this month, the hospital announced it is moving 40 tech-support jobs into a downtown Utica office building, and plans to shift 125 in all over the next five years.

That’s the equivalent of a 125-job plant closing.

Bassett has been saying its strategic plan is seven years old, largely not implemented because of the

impact it would have had on its Cooperstown neighborhood. And a new one is not yet ready.

The lack of such a plan, it seems, isn’t preventing action.

• At the end of September, Bassett’s Cooperstown neighbors filled the Village Board meeting with bodies and strong objections to a proposed “hospital zone,” fearful such a designation would simplify approval of any hospital projects.

In particular, fears were voiced that a “dormitory” is planned for the 20 students here part of the year through the Bassett-Columbia Presbyterian medical school, which aims to train physicians interested in practicing in rural settings.

A few weeks later, Jane Forbes Clark, who chairs the Bassett trustees’ facilities committee, Dr. Brown, and Jonathan Flyte, vice president/facilities planning, convened a meeting in the hospital’s Clark Auditorium to hear neighbors’ concerns, and such sensible, doable ideas as replacing gasoline-run shuttle buses with

low collaboration with local colleges – SUNY/IT, Utica College and USC, presumably – to ensure Bassett can hire the needed tech-support personnel. We have a SUNY campus, Hartwick College and a USC branch.

Why didn’t those conversations happen here?

And parking! Frequently, patients can’t find it around the Cooperstown hospital.

And 200 spaces for employee parking were recently moved from behind the HOMETOWN ONEONTA Clark Sports Center, where The Bassett cupola has been part of the an expansion is planned, to Cooperstown landscape for almost a century.

Gary Enck’s former Corquieter, cleaner electric ones ever housing situation is vette dealership in Hartwick were discussed. The neigh- optimum for med students, bors were praiseful. who may practice here after Seminary; for nurses and technicians commuting from Such positive outreach graduation, is what they Schoharie or Ilion, that adds should be welcomed by should get.)

20 minutes at each day’s all. But the concerns of • beginning and end. If parkneighbors – a couple of The Village of ing can’t work for patients dozen households, comCooperstown spent 18 or staff, something’s got to pared to 24,000 countywide months studying what be– shouldn’t stifle the larger came the controversial “hos- give. Please, build a deck.

The late Oneonta Mayor question: pital zone” proposal, but Dick Miller, who, among Are Cooperstown and officials involved say they other things, had served Otsego County doing have little idea of Bassett’s on a hospital board in the enough to create optimum vision for the future. That’s Rochester area, believed the circumstances wherein a getting the horse-drawn amsuccessful healthcare system Bassett system, headquarbulance before the horse. of the future will need to tered locally, can continue to In explaining the Utica serve a population of 1.2 thrive? initiative, it was noted that million. Bassett’s eight (While we’re at it, whatthe new location would alcounties comprise about half

that. And there’s the more populous Mohawk Valley, waiting, waiting.

• This is clear: Bassett, the county’s largest employer, its convenient and well-regarded healthcare services are among the county’s signature assets, is exploring options beyond Cooperstown and Otsego County.

Perhaps it should. Perhaps it must. But we should expect our community leaders, in Cooperstown, Oneonta and Otsego County, to be fully up to speed on the pressures Bassett is facing, and doing what they can – whatever they can – to ensure the healthcare system’s presence here is as robust as possible for as long as possible.

Mayor Katz, Mayor Southard, county board Chair Kathy Clark – find out how we can achieve that. Dr. Brown, bring the community into this critical conversation.

At this point, let’s not ask what Bassett can do for us, but what we can do for Bassett.

LETTERS

Katz: Our Own Rick Hulse Derailed Tourism Assistance To the Editor: In the county budget vote of Wednesday, Dec. 3, a bipartisan group of Ed Lentz, Beth Rosenthal, Gary Koutnik, Linda Rowinski, Kay Stuligross, Craig Gelbsman and Janet Quackenbush voted to return $150,000 in bed tax revenues to the municipalities that generate it.

They recognized, unlike our own Town of Otsego/ Village of Cooperstown representative Rick Hulse, that the town and city of Oneonta, Town of Hartwick and Village of Cooperstown bear a disproportionate burden of tourism costs. At the same time, those townships and municipalities account for 78.2 percent of the $1.4 million of the bed-tax revenue paid to Otsego County. Representative Hulse is the first county representative since I’ve worked to procure bed-tax money for Cooperstown who has publicly rejected us. Nancy Iversen, James Johnson, John Kosmer, Sam Dubben and Beth Rosenthal,

Republicans and Democrats, have all stood with us and supported our needs.

As mayor of Cooperstown, I applaud those representatives who voted for redistribution of a portion of the bed tax. The village does not, and cannot, run simply as a small village of less than 2,000 residents.

As host to hundreds of thousands of visitors who flock to Cooperstown to see the Baseball Hall of Fame, Fenimore Art Museum, Farmers’ Museum and the Glimmerglass Festival (as well as Cooperstown Dreams Park in Hartwick Seminary and Cooperstown All-Star Village in Oneonta), the village has to provide a level of infrastructure and services that go far beyond our own residents’ needs.

While the county happily collects sales and bed tax money that we provide, it returns nothing to us in roads, public safety and other services that we handle on our own through a full-time Please See KATZ, A6

HOMETOWN ONEONTA

& The Otsego-Delaware Dispatch

Jim Kevlin

Editor & Publisher

Tara Barnwell

Advertising Director Thom Rhodes • Susan Straub Advertising Consultants C

Celeste Brown Thomas Copy Editor

M.J. Kevlin

Business Manager

Kathleen Peters Graphics

Katherine Monser Office Manager

Libby Cudmore Ian Austin Reporter Photographer

Judith Bartow Stephenie Walker Billing Production Coordinator

Tom Heitz Consultant

MEMBER OF New York Press Association • The Otsego County Chamber Published weekly by Iron String Press, Inc. 21 Railroad Ave., Cooperstown NY 13326 Telephone: (607) 547-6103. Fax: (607) 547-6080.

E-mail: info@allotsego.com • www.allotsego.com

RINGING

ROADBAND

Editor’s Note: This is the cover letter from FARR Technologies CEO/Partner Peter Rasmusson to the county Industrial Development Agency, an overview of the proposed $30 million public/private plan to bring high-speed Internet to the whole of the county.

is the focus on building a network to provide service to end users, both residents and businesses. This distinction is critical to the financial viability of the network and maximizes use of the strengths that each of the local potential partners brings to the partnership.

From a technical perspective, the study recommends building a $30 million hybrid network consisting of a fixed wireless network, serving nearly 10,800 locations, connected to a 330mile fiber optic backbone network.

The fiber optic backbone network will also be constructed to serve approximately 9,000 “Fiber to the Premise” (FTTx) locations. The fiber network will pass through 13 village centers, which will enable the project to offer Main Street businesses and community centers access to highspeed fiber connections.

The total number of unserved and underserved locations capable of receiving high-speed data and voice service at a minimum speed of 10 MB down and 1 MB up (10/1 service) is approximately 84 percent of the total unserved/underserved locations in Otsego County, and approximately 90 percent of the entirety of Otsego County.

To upgrade locations without 10/1 service, a combination of larger Please See BROADBAND, A6

B

roadband access is arguably one of the most important aspects of any thriving community today.

With broadband access, our educational system, our economic-development efforts, our healthcare and our business climate are all enhanced.

The study shows that legacy telecommunications companies have, for decades, dramatically underinvested in their networks serving vast portions of Otsego County. The impacts of this underinvestFARR CEO ment include difRasmusson ficulty in attracting, retaining and growing businesses; inability of educational institutions to use 21st century tools to expand learning opportunities for their students; and residential services that are expensive and exceptionally slow.

Fortunately, the County of Otsego

ERE

From FARR Report

The three years of construction begins with Ring One in 2016.

IDA (COIDA) has a solid opportunity to help drive reinvestment in the telecommunications network to provide a new infrastructure for broadband that will serve the County for decades to come and reverse these impacts.

Using a Public Private Partnership (PPP) structure with local partners will allow COIDA to lead the effort to facilitate the applications for federal and state grants and low-interest loans to fund the construction of – and create a business structure to operate – a state of the art network in Otsego County.

A primary distinction between this feasibility study and previous studies

FOR FULL FARR REPORT, VISIT ALLOTSEGO.COM AND TYPE ‘IDA NAMES’ IN THE SEARCH LINE

ALAN CHARTOCK CAPITOL CONNECTION

To Frack (Rock)? Or Not To Frack (Hard Place)?

ALBANY

W

hen politicians take money for their campaign coffers, they owe something back. That’s because there is honor among, well, politicians and lobbyists. If you see tons of money going to politicians from the realestate industry, you’d be foolish not to think that the people who own hotels and other big buildings want something back for their bucks. As Festus Haggen used to say on Gunsmoke, “Don’t you see?”

‘Don’t You See?’

Now everyone is waiting to see whether Governor Cuomo will allow hydrofracking in New York State.

Cuomo is brilliant at both political strategy and fundraising (about $45 million for the last campaign) but he is caught up in a huge pincer movement between those who hate the idea of potentially polluting our water and further despoiling our air and those who want to make a buck from fracking.

My hero, legendary folk singer Pete Seeger, put it to Cuomo this way: “Your father was perhaps the best governor New York State ever had. And if you take the money that they want to give you for going along

with fracking and injuring people for generations to come, you will go down as perhaps the worst.” Those were pretty powerful words and I suspect they left Cuomo reeling.

Fracking puts Cuomo between a rock and a hard place. He doesn’t know what to do. As a result of this predicament, the governor’s top people were almost certainly told to stall.

So first, the commissioner in charge of environmental conservation studied the problem to death, then Please See FRACKING, A6

AllOTSEGO.com

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WELCOME • E-MAIL THEM TO info@

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014

HOMETOWN

History

HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-5

Compiled by Tom Heitz with resources courtesy of The New York State Historical Association Library

125 Years Ago

The Local News – The peculiar weather of the past year or so, with the great amount of moisture deposited, is said to be accounted for by Professor Tyndall upon the theory that the Gulf Stream is steadily approaching our North Atlantic coast. He bases his argument on the discovery of gulf weed further and further in-shore during a period of ten years, and it is stated that the stream is already many miles nearer the coast than formerly. If this theory is borne out by facts we may yet live to experience the balmy climate of California in Oneonta, and to grow in our gardens the peaches, apricots, and nectarines, if not the oranges and lemons of that favored region.

December 1889

40 Years Ago

80 Years Ago

Bo-Peep Wins New Laurels – Gaining further laurels, the entries of Miss Katherine Sheldon of West Oneonta were adjudged grand champions at the annual Buffalo Junior Livestock Show yesterday. This is the fourth time this year that Miss Sheldon has carried away honors at livestock expositions. Miss Sheldon’s pen of three Southdown lambs, averag-

The FacTory STore DoubleDay fielD, Cooperstown · 315-866-5150

The average American driver is a good driver. The statistics prove it. But, even so, with a little more effort he can become a better driver. Such is the belief of Alderman Morris E. Howey, chair of Oneonta’s observance of “Safe Driving Day” this Wednesday. Mr. Howey says safe driving can be acquired by concentrating on it. He cited the effect of driving safety education on the nation’s highway death toll, as reflected in figures compiled by the National Automotive Safety Foundation. The death rate has been cut in half in the last 18 years.

December 1954

30 Years Ago

100 Years Ago

An event new in the history of Oneonta Odd Fellowship, and one of the most important functions in the history of the city’s fraternal circles, was consummated Thursday night at State Armory under the auspices of Canton David Wilber.

The grand decoration of the Order of Chivalry was conferred on Major A.F. Christian of that canton. It is one of the highest honors within the power of the canton – the highest branch of Odd Fellowship – to confer, and that Major Christian should be selected is a source of gratification not only to the members of the order, but in fact to all Oneontans.

December 1914

60 Years Ago

December 1974 ing 107 pounds in weight, was chosen grand champion of the lambs, continuing her success begun at the International Livestock exposition in Chicago, where she also won first place. In addition, she won first at the Eastern States exposition in Springfield, Massachusetts, and at the New York State Fair in Syracuse. They were prize lambs yesterday morning and nothing but meat by the afternoon as hundreds of lambs were auctioned with the proceeds going to charity. Miss Sheldon’s pen of lambs fetched 55 cents a pound.

December 1934

Area county judges will receive a 26 percent pay raise and the Oneonta city court judge is due for a 55 percent pay hike in January under a salary package that has been signed

by Governor Mario Cuomo. Judicial salaries will vary to a new high of $95,000 for the Chief Justice of the NYS Court of Appeals. Locally, the five county judges serving Chenango, Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie counties all have been collecting a $53,928 salary. Under the new plan, they are scheduled for a $14,072 raise – or 26 percent – to a new $68,000 salary. The part-time Oneonta city court judge currently makes $16,853. With a $9,300 pay hike, the new salary will come to $26,250. A part-time acting city judge will receive $100 per diem, not to exceed $3,000 annually.

December 1984

20 Years Ago

Scholastic Network, the nation’s first educational online service for teachers and schools, has recognized Oneonta educator Dawn Minette for her efforts to increase the use of technology in schools. Minette, the Oneonta City School District’s curriculum technology liaison, was named one of Scholastic Network’s mentors. The mentors are a select group of educators nationwide dedicated to helping teachers tap into interactive learning in the classroom.

December 1994

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THURSDAY-FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11-12, 2014

A-6 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

County’s Avarice Takes All, Not Just What I Owe To the Editor: I read your editorial (of Nov. 27-28) and it brought tears to my eyes. You have a clear understanding of my agony to redeem my home.

LETTERS For 51 days before the auction I tried without success to keep the house OUT of the auction and pay what I owed. My pleas did fall on deaf ears and cold hearts.

Mr. Crowell had full discretion to remove any property from the auction but, alas, he chose not to. He didn’t want to “disappoint” any potential buyer by removing any properties out

of the catalogue. That’s the best he could do?

To make matters worse, a co-worker (who once worked in the treasurer’s office and still has close ties) bid on my home and is now waiting, as I am, for the outcome. Imagine working 50 feet away from someone who can’t wait to evict you. I pray to keep my home, while they want to add it to their “farming operation.”

The avarice of the county to take everything I have rather than what I owe them is something that most of the citizens may not be aware of. So

many people think I would get the balance after taxes were satisfied. You stated it correctly....the county keeps it all. Everything.

Thank you, sir, for your insight and kindness. Perhaps the board will be merciful and I will have peace again.

I was at the Dec. 3 board meeting asking again to pay what I owe them.

Perhaps a Christmas Miracle! We have to change this redemption policy and allow individuals to keep their homes.

MARIA AJELLO Town of Richfield

County Should Seek Bed-Tax Hike, But In The Meantime...

KATZ/From A4 police force, streets department, water and sewer plants and so on.

Cooperstown would welcome financial support of any kind and, had Representative Hulse voted yes, we would have gotten funds.

His vote was the deciding one.

In the last few years, much talk has revolved around economic development for Otsego County and bolstering the infrastructure of those activities that draw people to the county. Tour-

AllOTSEGO.

dining&entertainment

ism was clearly identified as one of our strengths and potential growth areas.

Ideally, the county would pursue an increase in the bed tax, in line with counties like Monroe, Albany and Onondaga, and redistribute that additional money directly back to the municipalities that generate it for their infrastructure needs.

Until that is accomplished, short-term help through a return of some bed tax to the municipalities that create it is the right thing to do.

I hope Rick Hulse succeeds in his publicly stated

goal to create a processdriven, sustainable, longterm bed-tax-distribution plan. However, he could have easily voted for a short-term return of bed tax money to his district, while still pursuing a longterm plan. The two are not mutually exclusive. He said he supported bed tax for Cooperstown, but voted against it.

One doesn’t deserve credit for saying yes when voting no.

JEFF KATZ Mayor Village of Cooperstown

Plan Foresees Positive Cash Flow Through 6-Year Broadband Push BROADBAND/From A4 antenna, range extenders, micro cells, new tower sites and additional FTTx construction can be used as determined by the PPP. The project is broken into three one-year construction phases based on the three fiber ring layout of the

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Fracking Split Cuomo, Pete Seeger

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183 Main Street, OneOnta

FRACKING/From A1 transferred the ball to the health commissioner who eventually resigned and went elsewhere. It’s tough to be a medical professional of first rank and have to carry a governor’s political water.

Many people speculated that once Cuomo got through the election he would call for a modified fracking plan for New York, whereby localities that voted to allow fracking would be allowed to “Drill baby drill” under strict supervision. They suspected that the Solomon-like Cuomo would attempt to cut the baby in half. Once the

Open Seven Days a Week 11 am to 10 pm

expanded December Hours See www.OneontaHistory.org Unique gifts, model trains and holiday displays

GREATER ONEONTA HISTORICAL SOCIETY 607-432-0960 · info@OneontaHistory.org

cork was removed, however, the genie would be out of the bottle and fracking would become a reality in the Empire State. But not so fast – there are some intervening political realities.

Cuomo has lost many voters on the left wing of the Democratic Party. Having styled himself as a social progressive and a pro-business fiscal conservative, the governor is getting beaten up by the more progressive members of his party. Fracking is no exception.

A recent Pew poll showed that fracking is getting more and more unpopular among Democrats. So now the rock and the hard place are even closer together. After all, Cuomo got a million fewer votes in the last election than he got the time before. Many of those lost votes were those of angry Democrats who just stayed home. Since Cuomo is much smarter than I am, he’s got to understand that by accepting the money and not taking Pete Seeger’s advice against advancing fracking, he will lose even more of his natural voters.

Open Wednesday to Sunday 5 to 10 pm

network.

Financially, the business plan displays profitable operations, and positive cash flow throughout the six-year projection period (years 0-5). Financial ratio benchmarks typically required by lending institutions have been met or exceeded.

John Mitchell Real Estate

216 Main Street, Cooperstown • 607-547-8551 • 607-547-1029 (fax) www.johnmitchellrealestate.com • info@johnmitchellrealestate.com

PRICE IMPROVED!

Dave LaDuke, Broker 607-435-2405 Mike Winslow, Broker 607-435-0183 Laura Coleman 607-437-4881 Bim Ashford 607-435-3971 Madeline K. Woerner 607-434-3697

MLS#97683 Cooperstown PRICE IMPROVED! $89,500

Affordable well maintained 3 BR, 2 bath Fly Creek home is ready for new owners, or could be a Dreams Park rental. Comfortable 1-floor living and handicap access. 2-car detached garage w/plenty of storage! Minutes from Cooperstown and Bassett Hospital.

Charming Recent Remodel Exclusively offered at $419,000

Located 2 miles from the village. Master suite in its own wing of the house. Open kitchen/living/dining area. Large family room/den in basement. Large studio off of detached 3-car garage with electric and heat. There is no wasted space in this home!

PRoPERty DEtails

—2,040 sq. ft —Private, 2 miles to village —2.11 acres —Built 1968, Recent remodel —3-car detached garage w/ studio space

Directed by Donna I. Decker, Ballet by Irine Fokine Friday, December 19, 7 pm Saturday, December 20, 1 and 7 pm Goodrich Theater, State University College at Oneonta

$20 general, $15 students/seniors Tickets available: Green Toad Bookstore, Oneonta The Eighth Note Music Store, Oneonta Augur’s Corner Bookstore, Cooperstown Rachel’s Framing and Fine Art, Delhi Tickets also available through Decker School of Ballet /FBC 607-432-6290 or deckerschool of ballet.org FBC accepts MasterCard and Visa Cameo appearances by members of the Susquehanna SCPA

intERioR FEatuREs

—3 BR, 3.5 BA —Open concept kitchen, dining, living room —Granite countertops, center island, pantry cupboard in kitchen —Wood-burning fireplace; builDing DEtails fieldstone surround —Fully insulated —New furnace with 5-zone heat —Master BR has its own wing; walk-in closet, & more closets —220 electric with CB

Don Olin REALTY

—Glass enclosed walk-in shower in Master BA —Oak floors, carpet, linoleum —Oil baseboard heat

EXtERioR FEatuREs

—Paved driveway —Asphalt shingle roof —Private well —Private septic —Shingled

37 Chestnut street · Cooperstown · 607-547-5622 · 607-547-5653 (fax) parking is never a problem!

For Appointment Only Call: M. Margaret Savoie, Real Estate Broker/Owner – 547-5334 Marion King, Associate Real Estate Broker – 547-5332 Eric Hill, Associate Real Estate Broker – 547-5557 Don DuBois, Associate Real Estate Broker – 547-5105

Tim Donahue, Associate Real Estate Broker – 293-8874 Madeline Sansevere, Real Estate Salesperson – 435-4311 Cathy Raddatz, Real Estate Salesperson – 547-8958 Jacqueline Savoie, Real Estate Salesperson – 547-4141 Michael Welch, Real Estate Salesperson – 547-8502

For reliable, honest answers to any of your real estate questions, call 607.547.5622 or visit our website www.donolinrealty.com

Home of the Week

Ranch home with lots to offer. This home sits on almost an acre of land in the town of Oneonta. LR is bright w/newer windows, large eat-in kitchen with 3-4 BRs, 3 baths, master BR w/bath. Hardwood flooring in the BRs, ceramic tile in the kitchen, baths and bar area.

Family room in the basement is big w/bar, laundry room and bath. Vinyl siding, newer boiler w/radiant heat, newer roof, garage, and partially fenced yard w/spacious, private deck off the back. All this just on the outskirts of town! $169,900 MLS#94991

Lizabeth Rose, Broker/Owner · Cricket Keto, Licensed Assoc. Broker · Peter D. Clark, Consultant

locally owned and operated single and multi-family homes commercial property and land oneontarealty.com office 607.441.7312 fax 607.432.7580 99 Main Street, Oneonta

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2014

HOMETOWN ONEONTA A-7

St. James’ Retirement Community 

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Sunday, Dec. 14th from 3 to 5 pm  Featuring performers Gerry Falco, Steve Fabrizio

Christmas Is a Time for Giving!

The Salvation Army is desperately in need of toys for boys and girls, ages 5 to 12.

Some SuggeStionS Arts and crafts · games nail polish · make-up · Jewelry Sleds · Basketballs · Footballs LEGOs · Frozen toys Monster High dolls · Barbies Baby dolls · Doc McStuffins Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

and Friends singing all your favorites!  Jack Stahl at the piano!  Big Chuck from WDOS radio!  Collecting non-perishables for the St. James Food Pantry!  Refreshments will be served!  We will have an open apartment if you would like to take a look!

This will be a great holiday event!

9 St. James’ Place, Oneonta

Just off County Highway 47, 1 mile from Price Chopper or exit 16 off I-88 www.stjamesmanor.com  607-436-9974

Please drop off new unwrapped toys to the Salvation Army, 25 River Street, oneonta, by monday, December 15. or you can Adopt a Family (see the ad on page A5).

We greatly appreciate your assistance!

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Pipeline Aims To Hire 1,300 As Job OK’d PIPELINE/From A1 operators and pipe-fitters, said Chris Stockton, Constitution spokesman, in an interview this week.

Work will begin simultaneously at five points along the route, with one base camp in the Oneonta area.

The plan is to complete the $700 million project by the end of 2015, he said.

FERC (the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) voted Tuesday, Dec. 2, to issue a “certificate of public convenience and necessity,” allowing the Constitution to go forward with plans to link fracked natural gas from northeastern Pennsylvania to Schoharie County, where it would connect with the Iroquois and Tennessee pipelines, serving New York City and Boston respectively.

The certificate was “conditional,” but that is being interpreted in different ways.

Stockton said the conditions are to ensure environment precautions are met, which the company intends to do.

Opponents of the pipeline see the conditions as precluding action by the Constitution until they are met.

“We still are taking the position that the pipeline has not had the final approval, which is true,” said Robert Nied of the Schoharie County-based Center for Sustainable Rural Communities.

Acting on its interpretation, however, the company immediately mailed out letters to landowners along the route, advising them to accept, by Thursday, Dec. 11, its offers for the easements necessary to build and maintain the pipeline.

“Constitution would like to reach an agreement with you and strongly prefers to avoid litigation,” the letter reads. “However, if you do not accept this final offer and execute the documents enclosed … we will proceed to initiate suit under the Natural Gas Act.” Opponents, through the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic, have sent a letter asking state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to investigate what they see as an attempt to intimidate landowners who are holding out.

Meanwhile, Stockton said, the company – “on our dime” – has agreed to install “taps” at four point to allow access to the natural gas.

One is at Sidney, to serve the new Amphenol plant. But Unadilla, Otego and Delhi also have agreements with the Leatherstocking Gas Co., a Corning affiliate, to receive gas for community use.

Town, City Meet On Collaboration TALKS/From A1 mer National Soccer Hall of Fame, said he was inspired, in part, when he ran across the 2008 Center for Government Research study, “Opportunities to Use Shared Services and Consolidation Strategies to Improve Efficiency, Effectiveness and Equity in Local Government.”

The meeting, planned in the Oneonta Middle School auditorium, will be moderated by Steve Smith, executive director of the Mohawk Valley Economic Development District, as well as Shue, who is a former city alderman, and Colone. It will cover three topics: • The possible development of a comprehensive town-city water/sewer master plan.

• The merits of a town-city tourism, sports and recreation agency to establish Oneonta as the “tourism gateway” to Catskills and Coopertown.

• Review the 2008 study.

A-8 THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA

AllOTSEGO.homes

THURSDAY-FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11-12, 2014

for complete listings visit us at realtyusa.com

MLS#95631 $229,900 Money Maker! 3-unit in South Kortright. Owneroccupied, weekend landlord or investment property.

Call Suzanne Darling @ 607-563-7012 (cell) Virtual Tour://www.realestateshows.com/732300

MLS#97034 $145,000 Country Roads! 2-BR home w/3 additional rooms in basement that could be BRs, and full bath on lower level. LR w/fireplace, Florida room w/hot tub.

Call Suzanne Darling @ 607-563-7012 (cell)

MLS#95763 $220,000 4-BR, 2½ bath home on 2.2 park-like acres. Newer kitchen and baths. REA electric. Also 2-BR, 2-bath mobile w/attached garage! 8 more acres available.

Call Suzanne Darling @ 607-563-7012 (cell) MLS#93225 $86,000 Adam Karns 607-244-9633 (cell) MLS#97599 $139,000 Too many upgrades! 3 BR, 2 bath farmhouse sits on Spacious 4 BR,of2fenced bath house closeroof, to I-88.

Large nearly 1 acre land.isNew floors, paint. backyard, small(cell) shed. Make your Call Adamworkshop/garage, Karns @ 607-244-9633 appointment today. Priced to go this week!

Virtual Tour: www.realestateshows.com/745530 Virtual Tour: www.RealEstateShows.com/708598

PR NE iC W E!

PR NE iC W E!

MLS#96160 $275,000 Across the Street from Dreams Park! Mint 1.4 acres. As rental, solid 8% R/R for the 13 weeks.

Call George (ROD) Sluyter @ 315-520-6512 (cell) Virtual Tour: www.rodshousetour.com

MLS#96011 $395,000 10 Minutes to Cooperstown! New in 2007, 3+ acres, 4 BRs, 3½ baths, finished basement, AC. Call George (ROD) Sluyter @ 315-520-6512 (cell) Virtual Tour: www.leatherstockinghomes2.com

MLS#93358 $85,000 Davenport – What a great deal!

Call or text Sharon Teator @ 607-267-2681 (cell)

MLS#97606 $119,000 Quaint 3 BR, 1½ bath home in Oneonta’s east end features fenced yard, deck, nicely finished inside.

Call Adam Karns @ 607-244-9633 (cell) Virtual Tour: www.realestateshows.com/745532

MLS#95592 $35,000 The house is neat as a pin, in move-in condition. It has 2 full baths up and downstairs, new windows, updated electric, furnace and storage outbuilding.

Call Anthony Aragoni @ 607-434-2111 (cell)

MLS#94744 $19,000 A picturesque land that slopes a bit with trees that offer privacy. It was surveyed and is ready for your new home.

Call Anthony Aragoni @ 607-434-2111 (cell) MLS#93370 $144,900 NewLisbon 80 acres of open fields w/duck pond. Build your dream home or use it for hunting.

Call James Vrooman @ 603-247-0506 (cell)

MLS#94278 $499,000 Cooperstown/Pierstown – Newer custom-built home on 22 acres. 4 BRs, 3 baths, one owner.

Call James Vrooman @ 603-247-0506 (cell)

lisliNsE NE tiNtWiN W g! g!

MLS#97018 $249,900 2.3+ acre lawn, lake access right next door. 2-3 BRs, 2 baths, LR w/wood-burning fireplace, family room w/ pellet stove, garage/workshop. Move in immediately.

Call George (ROD) Sluyter @ 315-520-6512 (cell)

lis NE ti N W g!

OneOnta • 75 Market Street 607-433-1020 COOperStOwn • State Hwy 28 607-547-5933

MLS#96682 $289,900 Fly Creek Victorian 3 BRs, 2½ baths. Extensive restoration includes wiring, plumbing, insulation and cherry cabinetry. Hardwood floors, tin ceilings.

Call Katherine L. Fistrowicz @ 607-267-2683 (cell)

MLS#91997 $59,000 Make this property your own! 4-BR, 1-bath home has gorgeous wide-plank hardwood floors! New on -demand water heater and high-efficiency furnace.

Call Adam Karns @ 607-244-9633 (cell)

MLS#96032 $250,000 2004-built ranch w/3,264+/- sq ft, 4 BRs, 2½ baths, full finished lower level, 2-car garage, 2.46 +/- acres, pond, Cooperstown Schools. $100k below assessment!

Call Katherine L. Fistrowicz @ 607-267-2683 (cell)

MLS#97004 $169,000 Charming Hobby Farm! Renovated 3 BR, 2 bath home on 6.72 acres w/fenced pastures, barn, 2-car garage w/workshop, small cabin w/FP, 2 ponds.

Call Katherine L. Fistrowicz @ 607-267-2683 (cell)

MLS#95413 $79,900 Best Buy on Canadarago Lake! Family affordable!

Cozy 3-season cottage w/2 BRs, 1 bath. Great getaway Cooperstown Village fun. home. Seller pays closing costs (up for all your summer to w/acceptable Call$3,000 Pamela V. Andela @offer).

315-717-1907 (cell)

MLS#96514 $369,000 Cooperstown Village Home 4 BRs, 3 baths, 3 floors, new appliances, garage. Warm and move-in ready.

Call James Vrooman @ 603-247-0506 (cell)

MLS#95206 $169,000 Come take a look at this 4 BR, 2 bath home with great yard and fruit trees.

Call or text Sharon Teator @ 607-267-2681 (cell)

MLS#97070 $107,900 $25k in Renovations! New hardwood flooring, windows, wiring, insulation, barn, frost-free hydrant, water, electric. 10.69 acres.

Call Pamela V. Andela @ 315-717-1907 (cell)

MLS#96404 $104,900 Unadilla – New furnace only 3 years old , the roof is 2 years old, new dry well last year. 3 BRs, 2 baths, finished basement, garage.

Call or text Sharon Teator @ 607-267-2681 (cell)

Location! Location! Nice ranch home in desirable Oneonta

Can’t beat the location! Great building lot in Delaware County, but in the Oneonta School district. Minutes to downtown, Southside Mall, shopping and restaurants. There are 2 ponds that can be enjoyed by the property owners in the development along with a pavilion. This piece of heaven has mountain views with a park-like setting! Nice, affordable building lot! $13,000 MLS#94064

location. Close to I-88 and only minutes to town. Spacious LR with fireplace and 3 BRs total with 2 of the BRs being suites with full baths.

Full basement offers loads of room for expansion. Home has a new roof, 1-car garage and sits on a large lot. Call to schedule your viewing!

Lizabeth Rose, Broker/Owner Cricket Keto, Licensed Assoc. Broker Peter D. Clark, Consultant

$148,500 MLS#96921

HUBBELL’S REAL ESTATE 607-547-5740•607-547-6000 (fax) 157 Main Street Cooperstown, NY 13326

ASHLEY

E-Mail: info@hubbellsrealestate.com Web Site: www.hubbellsrealestate.com

Paradise on 11 acres

Jim

BenJamin

607-547-4045

Hours: M-F 8am-5pm Phone: 607-432-2022 22-26 Watkins Ave, Oneonta, NY 13820

Patricia Bensen-Ashley – Licensed Real Estate Broker/Owner

cooPerstown comfort

(7525) Exhilarating 3 BR, 2 bath ranch w/widespan views and 238' of private lake frontage. This gracious residence boasts cathedral beamed ceilings, large deck, large family room, 2 fireplaces. Open floorplan, new carpeting, kitchen w/eating bar, sauna, 2-car garage. Impressive easy access lakefront and beautiful features. Cooperstown Schools.

Hubbell’s Exclusive—$619,000

Since 1947, our personal service has always been there when you need it most. With comprehensive coverage for all your AUTO • HOME • LIFE insurance needs.

BUSINESS

CONNOR

29 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown, NY

stunning otsego Lake ranch

(7985) 3 BR, 3 bath ranch on 11 acres w/great views. Vaulted ceilings, finished basement, office/den, bonus room, entertainment area. Main-level master BR w/jacuzzi, modern kitchen, formal DR, 2-car attached plus large detached garage. Cooperstown Schools.

Hubbell’s Exclusive—$315,000

R E A LT Y

(7589) Partake of the delights in this superbly kept 3-BR home w/many extras including formal DR, hardwood flooring, modern kitchen, garage, rocking-chair front porch. Near shops, lake, and golf course. Will capture your fancy! Cooperstown Schools.

Hubbell’s Exclusive—$259,000

Thinking of Remodeling?

Think of Refinancing!

LGROUP@STNY.RR.COM www.leatherstockingmortgage.com 607-547-5007 (Office) 800-547-7948 (Toll Free)

New Purchases and refinances • Debt Consolidation Free Pre-Qualification • Fast Approvals • Low Rates Registered Mortgage Broker Matt Schuermann NYS Banking Dept.

Loans arranged by a 3rd party lender.

31 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown (directly next door to Stagecoach Coffee)

AllOTSEGO.homes

Pristine Center Hall Colonial — Situated on a beautifully landscaped 3.05 acres on Beaver Meadow Road close to the Village of Cooperstown, this 2005 Colonial provides 3,800+/- sq ft of outstanding living space. First floor includes marbled entry, formal LR w/French doors, large DR, family room w/ gas fireplace, eat-in kitchen w/cherry cabinetry, Corian countertops and new appliances, full bath. Upstairs are 4 BRs, including a master suite as well as another full bath and laundry area. Finished basement provides additional living area w/possible BR, family room, full bath, kitchenette and large utility room. Additional features include: hardwood flooring, crown molding, large deck w/gas grill hook-up, huge fenced backyard, attached 2-car garage, efficient propane heat, cement-board siding, extensive landscaping w/ perennials and fruit trees, and picturesque valley views. Located in the Cooperstown School District, this would make a wonderful family home.

Offered Exclusively by Ashley Connor Realty— NEW PRICE $525,000

Visit us on the Web at www.ashleyconnorrealty.com Contact us at info@ashleyconnorrealty.com For APPoiNtmeNt: Patricia Bensen-Ashley, Broker, 607-437-1149

Jack Foster, Sales Agent, 607-547-5304 • Donna Skinner, Associate Broker, 607-547-8288 Christopher Patterson, Sales Agent, 518-774-8175

CALL 607-547-6103 TO ADVERTISE IN REGION’S LARGEST REALTY SECTION/MORE ADS, A6